LAHORE: FINCA Microfinance Bank sponsored the ‘Women in Business and Leadership Conference’ (WIBCON) 2018. The conference allowed FINCA a platform to highlight the initiatives it has undertaken to increase gender diversity and encourage women empowerment within the organization.

More than 5,000 working women from all over Pakistan were present at the conference. The conference had numerous panel discussions and speaking session through which accomplished women shared their gendered experiences with the wider audience. The conference organizers aimed to catalyze the progress of women within business spheres through these shared experiences.

For its customers, FINCA has sought to focus on increased credit provision to women entrepreneurs. It is working on bringing an exclusive women centric credit facility to the market, which budding women entrepreneurs can seek and use to expand their businesses. Since its inception, FINCA has given micro business loans to 35,000 women. These loans worth PKR 3 billion ensure that the businesses can sustain through the adverse seasonality effect. The loans FINCA has given, supported the livelihoods of 92,990 employees working in these women businesses and created 7,690 additional jobs, in the process.

Within the organization, FINCA has launched a ‘Women Leadership Forum’ to organize and oversee women employees’ empowerment, development & career progression at the bank. FINCA believes in working hard to create equal opportunities for women, to be a champion organization for their rights.